Chapter 42
Here we go again
Days later Mark returns home. Janet was very quiet as he and Paula sat in the front seat and she in the back seat of his custom-built truck. The twins were with Logan, who wanted to spoil his nieces. Janet had wanted to go. Mark wasn't up for rewarding her bad behavior with one of Logan's famous fucking shopping trips. Looking in the review mirror, Mark caught the misery in his teen's face as she watched her little sisters put in her uncle's truck. When Glenny waved at her, Janet turned away from him. "Don't be mad at him because you messed up. Now wave back." Janet sighs and folds her arms in on herself. Mark meets her gaze in the mirror with a raised eyebrow. Janet then waves at Glenny's clear confusion. He smiled at her, as Logan got in and drove away. Paula gets out and says she'll see them later. That drew speech from the until now quiet teen. Janet says she'd go help Paula with the new bar. They were home this weekend. "No, we need to have a talk about you. Paula asked you to help with the New Last Ride last night before you found out I was coming home, and what did you tell her?" Janet mumbles that she said Paula was a big girl and could sweep her own floors. "Same goes for today, she can still sweep her own floors."
Janet fidgets with her hair twirling it around her finger and pulling. This was not a conversation she wanted to have right now. She had a lot of stuff to do. Biting her lip, she leans up near the front seat forcing her dad to look to the side instead of at her in the review mirror. "Daddy, I know it was wrong and like I told mama, I won't do that again." Her dad asked her something not even Paula asked. He asked where she went, and was this her first time she'd done this. Sitting back, and buckling her seatbelt so they could go home. She ponders her answer. This was tricky, she could say she went to go get Nikki but then from what Nikki shared she'd told the lie Janet had fed her. Which, if Nikki got busted now she would be breaking the contract she foolishly signed with Chase to not get grounded by her mom. Janet had assured her that she wouldn't wrap her bestie up in this. "I went driving on Maple Lane and down by the teen club I didn't go in because I feared that the car would get stolen then I would be in trouble, go figure. Huh." That bit about fearing her car would get snatched was true, she hoped she sounded truthful enough to not have to elaborate and catch herself up in a lie no matter how partial it was. Her dad seems to take her at her word, that kind of felt good and wrong at the same time. Though he wasn't happy she drove and he really wasn't happy about her driving so close to the Grandville South / North border. Crap, how did he know where the teen only club was? She wondered. He asks did she have any accomplices. She tried for a look of confusion, he wasn't buying it, his eyes told off on him. "Yeah, ok one of the girls at my school needed help." Though she'd put Maria out of her car when she tried to light her funny cigarette. Janet had told her school mate no smoking in her car, and stopped in the middle of town. Maria got out, and walked off saying she worried too much. Janet was on her way back to Ivey Mansion when Nikki had texted her, at the very least the only thing she promised Maria was that she wouldn't tell their Internship counselor where she was really living. Her dad was not digging this answer as Maria would say. They pull into the garage, and head in to the den.
Mark listened to the story, no, a boy wasn't involved, but he sensed there was something missing he couldn't put his finger on it. "So, this Maria, is an adult that goes to your school? I thought you had limited access to the other students while outside of class. How did you two get together after school? Where does she live Janet?" He hated not trusting that his child was being 100% honest with him. "SO, let me see if I get this straight. Until early in the morning you drove a perfect stranger around to different locations because for some reason that you didn't care to discover, she can't drive herself and figured she would enlist a minor that is on a permit to help her? I want to talk to this woman. Did you tell her you were on a permit or that you are 14? Janet says yes and that Maria said she was very mature. "She is still an adult and I still will be speaking to her." Unbeknownst Janet, her next words sent warning bells off in Mark's head when she said that her newest school mate wasn't even in school and it was probably her fault. "Why because she could no longer get you to drive her around illegally?" Janet says no and tells him where she dropped the young woman off. "If you were where you said you were, if she lived around there, she just went home honey, don't worry yourself. The middle of Grandville South isn't Ivey Mansion but it's no slum." Janet asks how long she was grounded for. She continues by saying he acted like he never drove when he wasn't supposed to as a child. "Janet, I know I have told you what happened, and I can assure you hitting that tree hurt. Neither of us, were driving some strange adult around town." Janet says she had a moment of poor judgement and hopes he will trust her again. She repeats that she won't do it again. "Trust is important, but you want to know what I'm afraid of. I'm afraid that you are on some rebellious streak, and will attempt it again." Janet says so she makes a big mistake and now she is grounded until adulthood. Mark gives her a look.
"Daddy, I missed you I wanted to practice. I didn't want to have to wait until after Mania, but it looks like you are making it so I won't be able to drive until I gain your trust, but you have already made up your mind that I am going to do it again, when I have said for the past few days that I won't. I understand I scared momma but I made you mad. I never meant for momma to worry she was talking like I just sped around town. I followed all the posted signs, I obeyed all the lights." Her father stops her argument cold.
"Fine, you want to know what I was feeling when I woke to my wife telling me that my daughter was grounded for driving around town at night? I could barely think straight, even though the real danger was over. All the possible things that could have gone wrong plagued me…" Janet says she never intended for them to find out, and she was sorry if she scared him she then said something that he wanted to clear up very fast. When she mentioned about how she drove with traffic and he would have been proud. "STOP it, Janet your ability to operate a vehicle is not the problem. You went outside at night, period. You could have been taken from me again." The words left his mouth before he could clean it up. He wasn't in this to scare her, but he wanted her to realize what the real issue at least for him was. "No one knew, you were even out of the house. You didn't think of the danger of that and, you were so worried about looking cool for some strange adult that should not even be allowed to speak to you outside of structured school settings. Honey, I know you didn't used to have to watch your own shadow so closely in the past, but that was because I tried my best to hide you from a lot of things. The Academy I have you in, those rules are in place to keep you safe. You telling me that you never intended for me to know, means to me that if you weren't caught you would do it more frequently. That scares me more, than finding out you did it once. Just last year around your birthday I thought I would never see you again. I won't lose you again." Janet tries to speak, Mark cuts her off. "Even if that means, protecting you from yourself."
The next day, Mark went in search of the woman that rode around with his daughter. When he quick searched the woman's name he found out the real reason she could reach his daughter. She wasn't a student. It turned out that the woman with the name Maria Alexander was a fucking science (EA) or education assistant. She'd lied to Janet about what she was and lied to the school supposedly about where she lived. Which he found the bit about living arrangements odd, because by the Academy's selection rules, students, had to meet the testing requirements before you even submitted an address. The school knew full well that Janet lived three hours away but was staying in town on school days. If they were ok with that arrangement, why was it such a big deal where their lying ass staff worked, he wondered. He wanted fucking answers. Sending questions to Sophie. She asks him to call her. By 5 pm Sophie calls him back to tell him that woman no longer was employed at the school. "Sophie, I have to I know was it really anything about her living space that you would have fired her for?" Sophie told him that her living arrangement had nothing to do with what was discovered. "Is she dangerous?" Sophie says with all the crap that had went on this past year she would never claim to be a fortune teller, she personally didn't think that woman would pose a threat to Janet since the headmaster never mentioned Janet's name in the woman's exit interview, but stranger things had happened. Mark put his hand on his forehead "don't remind me."
Mark, talks it over with Paula and shared his concern for when the school week restarted and the fact he didn't want to be out of town with his girl with no phone. "For up to 6 hours a weekday Janet is away at school, and yes Sophie dealt with the lady that is involved, but honey I would just feel better if she had her phone on her. I know it didn't matter last year, but I don't want to have to wonder if she made it to school or home each night. Or must wait for you to get back to the house just so I know she is safe. Paula says she'd thought about that, but she was just so angry and scared that she left the punishment as is. They both call Janet into the den. Janet is soon given one privilege back, her phone. Mark explains the stipulation, she is to call him each morning when she reaches her school site, whether it be the school or Ivey Enterprises, she was also to call him when she got out of school for the day. He finishes with, "Your momma and I are trusting you to follow these rules. If you can't, you will be rocking and emergency flip phone instead of that iPhone are we understood?" Janet says yes. Paula hands her the phone, and tells her she still must give Pain and Panic their baths today since they would have to head back to Granville South tonight so she could go to school tomorrow. Janet says she will right now, and that they won't regret trusting her this far. Janet powerwalks out of the den. "I hope we're doing this right." Paula says as she hugs Mark around his waist, laying her head on his chest, as she watches Janet chase after the large dogs in the backyard. Mark says he hoped so too, and that all he wanted was for her to know that though rebellion, is normal she should know there are reactions for her actions. He then says what worried him the most. Which was that If something had of happened to her while she was carting around some lying adult, he would have never even known she was gone until Paula went to wake her for school the next morning. "Well she has been miserable for this week, but I'd rather her be sad or mad at me for a time, than hurt or worse." Mark kisses his wife on the forehead and agrees with her.
Sophie speaks to the Headmaster of the Nana Barnett Academy about the woman that Mark had brought her attention to. "Look, if you can't vet your people better than this, you can be replaced. I will not have you waste that school's reputation. I understand that, you're new to this position, only two years in, but I want staff records complete with their most recent background checks sent to my damn office at Ivey Enterprises, no later than tomorrow morning. That woman, broke contract and reached out to the youngest student in our academy. I shouldn't have to tell you, those stipulations were put in place for a reason, and they are to be followed as law." Sophie hung up when the woman promised that she would have the records by Monday morning. Sophie sits back in her chair inside her home office. She was glad Mark brought this to her attention. Maria had a domestic violence and drunk driving charge on her record, and had lied about it, and lied to Janet posing as a student. Though there are no blood ties between them, Sophie saw Janet as a niece of sort, considering she found that she thought of Paula and Mark as her siblings. She goes in search of Luke. He'd been distant these past few days, saying he felt he should have still done or said something to his mother's brother, but Sophie and Luke knew there wasn't going to be any talking involved if Luke went back over to his parent's home. Sophie opens the basement gym door of her home, and is met with Joshua and Luke sparring. When Luke suggested it the day of the Russo fiasco. Joshua wisely declined, and told him no that he would not be wearing any target for whatever put that glare in Luke's eyes. Sophie guessed they had come so to an agreement because Luke wasn't pulling many punches, and Joshua just did a great job of blocking. She also noticed that there was no kicking. Joshua didn't taunt him as he did with Rapture when they sparred. Sophie considered that a smart move, on her brother's part.
"Come in, or leave" Luke growled as Joshua caught him on the side of the head when he looked away from what he was doing. Looking back at his soon to be brother in law he goes for a straight punch, and it is deflected. Sophie walks all the way in, and sits in the chair by the door. Joshua tells him not to be rude to her just because he was pissed. "If I was pissed you would know it. Lil man" Luke saw the flash of anger and smirked. He felt like Joshua was holding back, they had agreed on no kicks and no face shots, but mostly fighting him was like punching a moving punching bag. That small sentence was the only exchange of wording Joshua had offered, other than contact release words such as ha or yah. He saw Joshua and Rapture fight in this very home ring, and he knew that for some reason Joshua wasn't fully into it. By nature, Joshua was a shit talker, they'd sparred before and it was fun and a workout. The day Russo put his hands and almost his fucking lips on Luke's lover he asked Joshua to spar with him and Joshua had flat out told him that he knew that look and wasn't up for being a stand in for whatever he was pissed about. It was for the best, Joshua wasn't the object of his anger, and nor was Sophie, but he'd promised Sophie that he would not act against his mother's brother. His mother had invited them back over and he'd told her why he wasn't coming back. It was good he did, that pig Russo had accused his mate of trying to flirt with him, and that he'd had to push her way, and that is when she had become violent and left. Luke saw red just thinking about the conversation, and the lies his own blood, was attempting to spread about the woman he loved. Joshua caught him on the shoulder and something snapped inside of him.
Sophie felt the shift in Luke, one while they were sparring and for some reason, out of nowhere Luke grabbed Joshua and flung him into the turn buckle. Sophie got up. When Luke charges Joshua into the buckle with what looked like all his body weight. Joshua crumpling to the mat like a broken doll, broke her shocked speechless spell, as Sophie yelled. "Luke, what the fuck?! Joshua, are you ok?" Joshua hadn't even been that aggressive. It reminded her of when Josh sparred with Bradley before they became closer. Joshua belly crawls out of the ring and lays on the padding that surrounded it wincing, and breathing heavy, as he hugged his midsection. Sophie glares up at Luke who walks over towards Joshua to help him to his feet. With no doubt an apology on his lips.
As Luke walked towards him Joshua grunts "Stay the fuck away from me." Luke stops advancing. Joshua pulls himself up on the rope to a standing position, he really wasn't expecting to be Irish whipped into the corner and run into by a guy that out weighted him by a solid 50 pounds. As soon as the room stopped spinning he was going to walk up the stairs. Seeing blood, he wiped at his lip with his hand, that wasn't full of rope keeping him upright. Glaring at Luke he noted that Luke had blood on his forehead. "I don't know who the fuck you were fighting but it wasn't me." Luke went from red to pale as he opened his mouth to probably apologize, Joshua didn't want to hear the shit. Luke apologized and asked him was the dizziness fading or getting worse. Looking over at Sophie Josh says. "Sophie, I'm fine." Letting go of the rope he walks to the bottom of the stairs and kept moving. His whole body was screaming at him, but he would be fine. As he reaches the top of the steps, Sophie and Luke start arguing. Joshua turns around, there was no way in hell he was going to leave Sophie down there with Luke acting like the fucking Incredible Hulk, she could be mad at him for dipping into her private business later, but right now Luke needed the get the fuck out.
Sophie wasn't going to dance around the elephant in the room. Luke had lost his shit. Seeing that Luke had busted Joshua's bottom lips pissed her off because Angel was going to be pissed. Joshua sparred all the time, but one rule especially this close to a show was that there was to be no face shots. "Luke, that was uncalled for you know that, we all do. What the fuck happened? He wasn't baiting you in any kind of way, if anything, from what I saw you were doing most of the swinging. You were rude to me that's all he said. If that pissed you off that bad you should have stopped there." Luke raises his voice saying he didn't know what came over him, and told her to stop yelling at him. "You haven't heard yelling yet. I saw you throwing real punches, Joshua isn't, and will never be Russo. I told you this was a bad idea the minute you challenged him the night all this shit started. He has a televised performance in less than 20 days." Luke says it wasn't Joshua at all, he speaks about what Russo said to his mother. "You know it's bullshit. You are way too much right now. I think you should go home." Luke says he is sorry, and that he did apologize to Joshua. He continues as his voice gets louder about how all he wanted was to defend her. "Joshua didn't say it. You could have really hurt him? Fuck, whatever happen to, do no harm?" Luke screamed that Russo that piece of shit put his hands and almost his fucking lips on her. Before Sophie could respond. Joshua comes back down the stairs and tells Luke to leave. Luke says it isn't his call. Before this got any worse Sophie says "Yes, it is, this is his home as well as mine, I have already asked you, now I am telling you, go home, chill out, because right now your stressing me out, as if I need an extra layer, and you are being very extra right now." Luke says fine, snatches up his jacket, his cell phone flies out of his pocket and lands at her feet. As if the universe owed her one, it rang. Picking it up, she read the number to his medical center. "Dr. Sheldon I believe you are being paged, try not to smash into, or fling any of your other patients. It could really be bad for business." Sophie walks away from him, and follows Joshua up the stairs.
Monday afternoon Mark and Cassandra sits in Mark's school's gymnasium watching Rapture go through his wellness interview. Rapture is told to do simple movement as the doctor and trainers watch to see if he can handle the impact. One of the trainers gets in the ring and instructs Rapture to take a high bump off the top rope. Rapture climbs the ropes and executes a near-perfect splash miss landing on the padding that looked like a downed wrestler. Mark could see that his number two pick was getting gassed. Getting to his feet he walks over to Mick Foley and asks him did he see that Sloan was winded. Mick nods but says that, as Mark knew would come with time. "I just finished his schedule he is to have a little more time in his recoup weekends. I don't need him passing out." Mick nods and tells Mark he knows Rapture is a hard worker, but he won't let him push himself back to the injured list. "Thanks"
Cassandra had mixed emotions about coming here. Yes, she wanted to support her man, but after what had gone down and seeing him run through the exercise she didn't believe he was at his level best. Looking over at Mark as he spoke to yet another one of his staff, she wished he'd stop this for now. As if he read her mind, Mark claps his hands and ended the fight part of the session. She was still confused why after what her mate had been through that he still wanted to do this so badly. She'd didn't think she would ever say it to him but that didn't take away the confusion. Rapture walked towards her she notices he was really struggling to keeps his gait even. He walked a certain way when his ribs were bothering him, and she hoped Mark saw it as clearly as she did. Mark got in the ring after his meeting with the trainers. When Mark told Rapture he was on restriction, but able to participate at level one until he could get the ring rust off. Rapture thanked him. The question was out of her mouth before she could make it sound more unafraid. "Does this mean he stays here in the same room for three weeks straight as when he started?" Rapture looked at her and said they would talk about it later. Not wanting to stay quiet she addresses Mark. "We live near town there is no real reason he should have to stay here at night." After Mark says his rules were in place for a reason, then turns back to Rap telling him that Mick would give him a copy of his schedule, Rap thanks him Mark nods and then dismisses the session.
Rapture walks to her they head out into the hall. He tells her it was for the best. That by not being singled out or given any extra attention would help, and that he wanted this as untarnished as he could make it. "Untarnished, oh like it was so untarnished when they were trying to end your life? I just don't get it, it's like you have a death wish. I'm afraid they won't protect you if you stay here. I watched over you in that hospital, and I felt a helplessness and fear for you, I can't even begin to explain."
Rapture sighs as she sits in a nearby chair. "If I didn't think I could do this I would not have come back. If Mark didn't think I was worth it, he would have not let me come back. I promise you I don't have a death wish. I have a goal, I want to achieve, and right now is the time to go about it. I'm not getting any younger. This is what I'm good at, when done right." Mick walks up and hands him his new limited schedule. "Thanks Mr. Foley" Mick tells him to call him Mick. "Okay Mick, thanks again." Mick says no problem and left to head back towards the administration offices. Looking down at the paper he'd just received, he noticed his weekends were in bold except for Mania weekend. On that weekend, he would not have to report back to the school until the following Tuesday. Showing Cass his schedule, he follows her out to his ride and picks up his gym bag and walks back to be let back in. He had a 5 am training. "I'll see you Friday ok babe." Cassandra reaches up and grabs him pulling him down for a kiss. Putting his hands on her cheeks he kisses her back until they were both out of breath. When he lifted his head, and looked in to her eyes, he saw unshed tears there. Closing his eyes, he says "Hey, please don't cry you're shredding me. I'll be fine. I'll call when I think you're on your way to work ok? We knew this was a possibility, that's why I packed, just in case." she says she wanted him to video chat her instead. "I can do that, now please give me one of those smiles that made me see the sunshine I see inside of you." Wiping her eyes, she smiled up at him. running his thumb along her bottom lip, he kissed her smiling mouth, as he stood back up, he pulled the door open when he heard the click and walked inside. Turning around, he watches as she climbs into his ride and drives off the lot. Moments later as he walked towards his room he walked a little faster pass the closet he was found in. Finding his room, he heads in and Big Cass and Enzo jumped off their bed. Rapture has a brief flash of memory of Enzo head butting him in the ring and knocking out his lights. Dropping his gear, he went into a defensive stance as the two men approached him.
"Hey whoa, we just were coming to welcome you back," Enzo said as they notice that The Rapture looked ready to try to throw them both a beating. "Look, like I told Mark, I'm sorry for fucking up my off rope, but I had nothing to do with you getting jumped. Hell, we didn't know what the hell happened until the ambulance was seen and we walked out into the hall and saw them putting you on the gurney. You haven't missed much just the Denary chick's professional life go up in flames and her boyfriend Trainer Rod, get arrested. Not saying that you need it, but if someone one wants to make a target out of you, just know we got your back." Big Cass nods his agreement. Rapture relaxes his stance and sits on his bed.
Logan retuned his twin nieces to Mark and Paula when they reached town last night. After spoiling his son and his nieces, it was time to get back to working. Paula had done him a huge favor by wanting to baby sit Glenny until she went to work at The Last Ride tonight. Today is Monday his first day of working the Glenview site. He was so glad he'd had the forethought to hire a Foreman like Bradley, so he could finish projects and they could work in tandem on larger jobs. Bradley had got half the houses down already, and even started rebuilding a few of them. Pulling onto the work site, beyond the barricade, when he stepped out, he smelled natural gas. There shouldn't be any gas connected, he thinks as he runs over to where the wreckers were, waves his arms shouting for them to stop. He makes the "time out signal" with both hands. Where the fuck was Bradley? Walking around the last home that was to be torn down, he found his Foreman. Bradley lay in a heap at the back of the house. Logan took off at a dead run as he launched himself up the stairs to where Bradley lay at the backdoor. Bradley had footprints on his front and on his back. His work vest was ripped up the front. His face is a road map of bruises and cuts. Feeling for a pulse, he found one and breathed a little easier. One of the machines came back on. Logan radios his crew. "Shut it down NOW, and call 911 I need a med crew." Not knowing what happened pissed him off. His friend and Foreman had clearly been attacked and left here. If the crew had of hit this house it would have been the end of his already injured friend for sure. Using tap and shout, he roused Bradley enough to ask him could he stand. Logan didn't like the look of this partly torn down porch, or the smell of gas, and didn't want his friend or himself to go boom. Bradley inhales sharply, looked up at him with fear in his eyes. as he grabbed him by the shirt. "Bradley, it's me Logan, do you know what happened?" Bradley panted the word cops and passes back out. Just then a shadow falls over them, Logan looks up as his cousin State Officer Kevin Kinkaid walked up with the med crew. Logan tried not to think too much about what his friend said, as he moved out of the way of the med crew and the State policemen, which happened to be related to him. Was Bradley just saying who was approaching, was he asking for help from the cops, or were cops the ones who did this? Before he could think of something to say action was required. Kevin pulled a cigarette and a lighter. Logan launched himself at Kevin knocking the lighter out of his hand. "NO" the next thing Logan knows he is underneath Kevin and a few other officers. Kevin has him pinned to the ground by the throat. Yelling in his face not to make this hard for himself. Logan couldn't get air. Forcing himself to be still wasn't working. Kevin growls low for Logan to give him a reason. Logan had to get air, he tried hard to relax but with 5 guys on top of you, and one them choking the shit out of you, it's kind of hard to do. When Kevin takes one hand from his throat, and reaches at his belt. Logan screwed his eyes shut. He didn't want to know what Kevin was reaching for. His eyes open on their own in total fear, when Kevin says. "Don't you want to see Short Stuff again? Now stop resisting. Why are you doing this Logan?" Kevin moves his arm from Logan's throat. The rush of fresh air caused him to cough roughly. Logan gasps out. "gas… leak."
Sniffing the air, Kevin did smell it just now. Kevin gets up as his crew still makes sure his cousin doesn't run off. "Take him to my car." Kevin calls in the utility company. He'd thought "Squeaky Clean Logan" had lost his damn mind and had decided to attack him in front of his men. Behind closed doors, he might have deserved an upper cut or two from Logan, but not in front of his men. He knew Logan was still pissed at him, they had not spoken since Logan carried Adam and Short Stuff out of that preschool.
Earlier Monday morning up at the Sheldon estate, Ella and her brother are in the middle of an intense discussion. When her husband Dr. Lucas Sheldon Sr. walked into the room. Russo turned to him and said absolutely the wrong thing as he says that he was testing Sophie's loyalty. Seeing the look in her husband's intense blue eyes, Ella felt she had to say something. Her head hurt, she felt she needed a drink, as the realization of what Russo was doing crashed down upon her. Her brother was repainting the same scene, spewing, the same garbage to her son's lover, as her parents had to her husband 46 years before. Just for her to find out her own parent's marriage wasn't the picture that she had believed until shortly before their deaths. Putting up a hand Ella says in perfect Greek so Russo could not later claim he misunderstood anything she's said. "Russo, Sophie is not after Lucas for anything but his love, of which he gives her freely. My son is not, nor will he ever be you or our father. If he is like any other male that I know, he is most like his father, my husband." Russo says that is not a good thing, if the comparison is between her son being and image of him, their father, or her Brit. Ella's eyes narrow on her brother. She was tired of so much of this one sided feud her brother seemed to take the reins from their father in insulting her husband any chance he got. Lucas asks her could they speak privately. Ella knew what was going to be said. They had started arguing since her brother had come. Ella didn't want to fight with her husband. Instead she asked her lover for a moment with her brother alone. Lucas stiffly walked back out of the room. She asked for so much in the past few days, much more than she had ever asked of her lover. Finding out that her brother was the reason behind Sophie's quick departure because of his "testing her loyalty" angered Ella, and her only child's refusal to step foot back in the house he was born and raised in until her brother left, saddened her. She understood now why Luke's words were so short. He'd said he wouldn't subject his mate to her brother anymore. He sounded so angry. Russo's inability to move past the fabled disconnect that he assumed the rest of the Matenopoulos family had with her husband, and her child depressed her greatly. Luke had always come for Sunday dinner, or brunch when they were all in town. After hearing what Russo had done, and remembering the reactions of the people she loved, and finding out what drove her child and future child away, hurt almost physically, she once tried to dull it and gloss over the verbal swords and daggers thrown by her own blood with alcohol. They had lots of wine on hand, but not for what she was using the it for. She never wanted to believe it, but her husband had said in one of their arguments yesterday, that she would have to come to grips with what he already knew, which was Russo was always one that let their father lead him in thought, and now even though their father no longer lived, his dislike for her choice in not marrying into a Greek family lived on through her eldest brother. She straightens her back and meets her brother's gaze. Ella would not let her brother's empty promise to her of a revival of their relationship rip apart her family as it had threatened right after her parents died. "Russo, you claimed you were here to repair the fabric of our distance as a family. If this half assed attempt is your best. I'm glad my husband and my son are nothing like you. They have welcomed you at my request, and you have been nothing short of horrible to them both ever since you arrived. You will not get another chance to wreak havoc on my loved one's lives." He asked her what was she saying. Ella switched to Greek and says "You are making me miserable. My own son refuses to come back here until you leave. In trying to give you a chance, I did nothing but let the wolf inside the hen house. You attack my future daughter, and call it a test of loyalty. You have not said one nice thing to my husband. You even started your voyage here to my home with insulting my son who I begged to come get you, hoping that this new outlook on life you pretended to have would help." Russo says how Luke was rude to him and didn't she want to know why there wasn't going to be a prenup just like with her own marriage. "I don't, nor do I have to wonder at that, though it is none of your business. You brought up that topic at lunch and accused Sophie of social climbing which is insane, before she had to take her call. It isn't that there is no prenup to be done. Sophie refused for the same reason I did. Remember when I said Luke and Lucas are very much alike. I saw the document that Sophie refused to sign. My son wrote this." Ella walks into the den and pulled the stack of paperwork from her desk where Sophie had left it unsigned. "If you really what to know, Sophie refused one, for the same reason I did. Luke loves her and she him."
Russo's eyes bugged as he read. The document read that if at any time, they were to get a divorce Luke would give Sophie anything she wanted, whether it be his home, or half his wages, because Sophie isn't just a big part of his social life, she gave him a life, socially and otherwise. In the event children come from their union all he asked was to be an active part, of the children's lives. He wrote if the reason was ever because of his infidelity, she could have everything. Russo turned to the last page and called Luke a fool just as his father was. "I've been happily married almost half a century to the love of my life. I didn't sign a contract like that for some of the same reasons. Lucas made some of the same promises. I told him all those years ago, that if I couldn't make us work, that I wanted nothing monetary from him, because if I couldn't have his love there wasn't any money or property that I would want. Sophie isn't a climber she is multibillionaire, she could have any of the jetsetters she wants, but I see the look in that young lady's eyes when she interacts with my son, and it is the same look that I'm sure most intelligent people see on my face when I'm with my husband. I've learned so much being married, I have seen Lucas at his absolute worst. I've seen him when he is as angry as his now, I've seen him sad, stubborn, when he was so unlovable he made me want to scream. But, I also get to see him when he is laughing so hard that tears run down his face, and he can't help but let out those weird gargling noises." She says with a smile that soon falls from her face as quickly as it appeared, when she speaks of her family. She then focused on her brother. "You try your best to put down my husband, and now even my son, and you think that will what, make me suddenly see things your way, end my marriage, abandon the only man I've loved since college, and my only living child, in hopes of marrying someone based purely on their Greek heritage, so you and the spirit of our father can be happy?" He says no she has waited too late, he is afraid she is trapped here now. She screams in Greek "I'm happy damn-it, unlike our parents, unlike you in your own marriages. You keep saying someone like you, or our father. You want me subjected to someone who doesn't even know the true meaning of love. I'm not our mother, my husband didn't see fit to knock me about the house for decades. That's what you want for me? Someone like father who will keep me in line to the point I must go off to the hospital and lie to my child saying I'm going on holiday. Our mother hid her abuse so well, I thought she just didn't love me as much as she loved Hawaii. When she revealed what was really happening it broke my heart. Or maybe I'll get a lecher like you as a mate. One who will praise me but degrade me at a moment's notice, and cheat with all the females that will allow it. You are surely your father's child."
Russo was angry that his kid sister spoke to him so disrespectfully. "Your Brit is soft and unpassionate. That is why I speak so lowly of him. I have tested him for decades, and he not once has shown any passion to come to his or your defense. I gave him an inch of respect when he put me out. He for once, came off his high horse above all humanity, and acted as if he cared for you, he has no spine Ella." Ella, his baby sister Ella, slapped him across his face so hard she turned his head. Turning back to her, his Amelia comes in the room and says for her not to hit her daddy. Russo had enough of woman beating him. When his Claudia came in the room to gather their child he would not be outdone or bested by his little sister in front of his family. "You were right about one thing, I am my father's child." He then in the form of his father back hands his little sister to the floor as he'd seen his father do to his mother to keep her in line so many times. "You are no longer young and beautiful no Greek worth his salt would have you." Instantly he regretted the action. Claudia and Amelia screamed for him to stop, but it was too late, it happened too fast, he'd hit his only remaining living sister and knocked her down. Ella cried for him to leave. His wife picked up their daughter, and ran from the house. As Ella's Brit came running in the room, took one look at her on the ground and met his gaze. Russo saw true anger for the second time since he met Ella's husband. "My sister is wild, you should have kept her in line. She slapped me first." That was the wrong thing to say, as Lucas the predictable doctor didn't move toward his downed wife at all, he launched himself at Russo so fast he had not preparation time and was knocked to the floor and pummeled until he passed out.
Lucas Sheldon Sr. had never liked his wife's brother he was a very unlikable person, just as his father in law had been. He tried to be very devil may care around the man. He saw the bruises forming on his wife's face as she lay on the ground crying. Her own brother had resulted to true violence. Looking up meeting Russo's glare Lucas says "You're a dead man." and charges at the man that hurt his wife, beat the shit out him until he went still. For years, he tried to be nice, he tried to ignore the man's barbs at him and his family and his lack of knowledge of Greek Heritage, he tried so many different tactics. He agreed to a blending of the traditions which made for one of the strangest weddings he had ever witnessed, and the only one he would be a part of, but he wouldn't change an odd moment of it, because it made his lover happy. Almost a decade ago, he demanded this man leave his house because of what his presence was doing to his wife's mental state. Ella had been drunk and attempted to drive away from an argument she was having with her brother and crashed her car into the gate. He'd called Chase to help discreetly erase the car so his Ella wouldn't get into trouble. That following morning, he demanded that her brother leave. She'd been furious claiming she could handle it. Until he showed her the footage a week after Russo's departure. He'd also shared his fear that she'd hurt or even killed herself until he could get the damn door open, and check on her. Finding her passed out behind the wheel with just a few scratches was his breaking point. He yelled that he would not stand by and watch her destroy herself. They never told Luke the whole story he didn't have to know how far his mother had gone off her bend. Getting to his feet as Russo moaned, and turned over and looks at Ella who was still on the ground, he apologized to them both in unaccented English and swore he'd leave before the day was through. Lucas gets to his feet moved over to his wife and checks on her. As he helps her to her feet she gasps at pain in her wrist. Looking at her wrist, he sits her down and examined her. Upon the finish of his exam, he called ahead to Sheldon Medical center. She tries to say it was her own fault for striking her brother. Russo spoke up and told her that, that wasn't the hand she slapped him with, and that he was so sorry if he'd truly hurt her. Lucas says to his wife. "Don't worry about blame, right now you need to have that looked at."
That night as Russo is packing the last of his and his family's belongings, Claudia his second wife moved about the room. She had said nothing to him since his earlier outburst of stupidity. The real fact was, he was a fool he had not made the connection that Sophie Ivey was the heiress turned CEO of the mega conglomerate Ivey Enterprises, if anything the young lady should be worried that his nephew had his blood and healthy appetite for women. Seeing his own wife mope about the room he spoke. "Claudia, are you, and the girl packed my lover?" She shoots him a glare. "I know you enjoyed shopping here in Texas, but we can't stay here. I gave Lucas my word that we would leave." Her next words shocked him. Claudia was his demure, quiet wife.
Claudia bristled at the words coming from her husband's mouth. "You think it is just the shopping I am upset about? You are blind. You struck your own blood in the face. I will tell you one thing mister, I have older brothers and if one of them treated me the way I have witnessed you treating, as you put it, the only sibling that would love you no matter what, I don't blame her husband for knocking some sense into you. I also would not blame her if she never spoke to you again. I rather enjoyed Ella when she wasn't playing referee, or stressing over what you would say next to her family. You did all of this for what? I thought you came to bury the hatchet, and let her meet the new you, and your family. You want forgiveness for past wrongs for hurting her 8 years ago. Your younger brother Edmond flat out refused to see you. Ella was willing to give another chance and what did you do? You let your pride, or what was left of it, make your decisions for you, and ended up ruining even that bond you had with your little sister." Russo demanded she shut up. "Or what?! You try that "put her in place behavior" with me, and I'll call my youngest brothers. If you think you are hurting now from what Doctor Sheldon did, what they would do to you is not even comparable." They soon leave, locking the door to the estate behind them. Claudia looks back as they are driven away in an Ivey Transit sedan.
Hours later, Lucas and Ella return home. Ella found everything she could to postpone coming home. She didn't want to see her brother Russo. She called their younger brother Edmond, who just told her, he told her so. She'd been a fool and thought that Russo had changed. Once again, her husband had to fix what she had broken by trying to reconnect with her brother. This time it wasn't a discreet call to Sandra for a few sessions. This time her brother had did more than his usual amount of verbal abuse. His actions caused her to break her wrist. When she'd been knocked to the floor, she'd foolishly tried to catch herself. The bone broke in an odd pattern, and could not just get casted. Her wrist would have to be operated on soon as the swelling went down. Her wrist and hand were three times its normal size. She had to take her wedding ring off, she felt naked without it. Lucas had stayed with her, at the doctor's office. She went to his protégée she had known Dr. Sandra Middlebrooks when she was her husband's student, Sandy Collings R.N. Time flew so fast. Turning, she walked into her husband that had not left her side since he came into this very room and helped her off the floor. He asks what was the matter. After all this time, he could still read her like a book, and knew it wasn't the physical discomfort that was bothering her. "I haven't heard from Luke all day. I hope he doesn't think that I've chosen Russo over him. His appointment app said he was out of the office, when we were there, Sophie said that they had words, and she had not seen, or heard from him since last night."
That night. Luke stumbles into his condo and falls face first into his bed. After leaving Ivey Mansion at Sophie and Joshua's request, and his medical center here in town, he'd went to his newest campus in Grandville North and worked harder than even he had in years. Taking over the patient load, and the old Grandville North Memorial building was just the challenge he needed right now. He'd been a super dick to the only female that held his love. He'd nearly decapitated a patient and friend that was letting him get some of the frustration out. The look on Joshua's face when he made contact, he just knew he'd hurt his friend. Sophie's angry words filled his ears in the form of a sleepy auditory illusion. Not being able to sleep was bad, he was exhausted, but every time he closed his eyes. His fucked-up actions, and Sophie's words, plagued him. This was the first time she'd put him out. Also, the first time anyone told him to get away from them. Angel was bound to be pissed at him too. Sophie had said Joshua's band had a show, she must have been talking about Mania. Sophie told him to go home, then the medical center called, and he'd tried his best to pick up a bad habit, of throwing all of him into his work. That didn't work with stuff that dealt with Sophie and he, anyone else he could work the issues out of his system. With Sophie, it was as impossible now if not harder, than when he tried the first time he majorly fucked up their first outing. Getting up he walks into his living room and sits on his sofa staring at the turned off computer that sat in his open area den. He wanted to call her, but what would he say? Hell, he wanted to call and make sure Josh was ok. Pulling his phone, he sees the time and throws the phone on the coffee table. If she was asleep, calling at this hour would freak her out, and when she found out he wasn't dying of anything other than loneliness, she'd eat him up, and spit him out. Getting up, he turns on his computer he was supposed to be writing a fucking book. Last year this was a great idea, but now with all the shit blowing up in his face, the last thing he wanted to do, was write about how great he is. Autobiographies are torture for people with no real vision of how the world sees them. Right now, the people that mattered were pissed at him. He starts typing, the second page of the third chapter he wanted to hit the delete button. Sophie was great at this shit. She could tell him what was socially ok to share, without looking like a giant dick in print forever. "Fuck it" he had to at least hear her voice. Picking up his phone he calls her. Her answering service picked up. Well at least she hadn't blocked him. "Yeah. Just tell her that Luke called, thanks."
Over at the hospital, Bradley wakes handcuffed to a hospital bed. "What the fuck? Hello?" Dr. Sandra Middlebrooks walks into the room. "What is with the hardware doc?" Bradley says moving his hand making the chain knock against the railing. She tells him that he was to be taken to the local jail upon his release. "Why? I was fucking attacked by cops, and now I'm under arrest? This makes no sense." The doctor tells him to calm down, as she approaches the bed, and takes his vitals. Bradley looks off in the middle distance, trying to remember what happened before he got his ass handed to him, he was coming up blank. All he remembered is the cop kicking him in the face. "This is insane." he mumbles. State Officer Cody Tanner walks in, and dismisses the doctor. Tanner asks him what he remembered. "Why am I being chained to a bed? Where did you think, I was going?" What the snarky cop told him knocked the sarcastic tone out of him. "I want a lawyer." He must have died and gone to hell, that was the only excuse he could think of to match what he'd just been told. He was accused of being involved with a major drug ring that was being run out of the Shop and Go Mart. Some eye witness said they saw him fleeing the scene minutes before the building was set aflame. Talking to the cop that already had it in for a part of your family, wasn't going to get him freedom anytime soon.
Across town Logan sat in the State police station's parking lot talking to his cousin. This was crazy he'd been detained and brought here, put in an interrogation room, but asked no questions, then Kevin walked in, and he was free to go. After calling Paula and finding out that Glenny was going to be watched by Sally, he hung up and asked his cousin the question that ran through his head the minute he was free. "Hey Kev, what hospital did they take my Foreman to?" Kevin says by this time he should be on his way here. "Oh. Wait, what?" Kevin says that Bradley was in deep shit and that Logan should find a better class of people to employ. "He's good at his job. Hell, he spent more time in rehab, than he did in jail, and it took. He's clean. If this is you getting back at me for this afternoon. I think you got more than your share of a trying to flatten my ass for trying to save all of ours. Did they say where the leak was coming from?" Kevin says the company said it was from inside the house with evidence that Bradley was involved. Kevin speculated that Bradley was trying to torch the evidence. "Kev trust me, you are giving Bradley Davenport way too much credit. He wasn't even arrested for working with bombs or arson he was a young dude that got hooked on drugs. His story could have been any of ours. This bringing me down here was bullshit, and you know it." Kevin says he thought Logan had lost his mind and tried to attack him, that was the only reason he took him down so hard. "Kevin, give me some fucking credit, no I never held a badge, but with most of my family being cops you don't think I know not to try anything. Look, I didn't want to attack you the day it happened, yeah, I was pissed at you, still am, but attacking you won't solve anything." Kevin says that's why he is free to go. Logan told Kevin about the moment before Bradley passed out, and what he said. Kevin got defensive and called Bradley scum. That shocked Logan into silence.
Kevin drove his hands through his hair. His cover was in jeopardy, he was supposed to be on the take and had played his role almost too good. Looking at his cousin made him want to just fucking close this case, and pop every perp he could before the mobs started the impending war. A few times he'd got too close to the line that he had to get written permission to cross. Did he really think the Davenport guy was the one that burned down that store, hell no, would he lie to cover his and his men's asses yes? His corrupt ass captain wanted a swift close to this Glenview case. There was evidence, where it really came from he nor his men knew. He didn't attack Davenport and doubted any of his men did. Yes, they were doing some dirty shit but they were still cops damn-it. The paperwork alone for authorizing something like that wouldn't ever be approved without his knowledge. "Logan, I'm telling you as, someone that wants you kept out of whatever is going down. Go home." Logan says that he was staying to make sure his friend got treated fairly. "Look, you're a great "Squeaky Clean" guy, but you're still no lawyer, and that's the only way you are getting near this guy. Go home, be with your kid. God knows I wish I could go home right now." Sniffing the air and finding no trace of gas. Kevin pulls his lighter and lights a cigarette, staring at his cousin. It was because his tech team did such a poor job of hiding his identity when he went undercover, that he had to play this fucked up role. They were going to put him back with one of the dirty cops that was on his way out. Kevin just prayed that they could wrap this up before it took him and his taskforce out. Kevin pats the truck and points towards the highway. Squeaky Clean powers up the window but doesn't start the truck.
The State Police van pulls in. Kevin stood near Logan's door just in case Squeaky Clean got some dumb ass hero idea. When Officer Tanner the department fuck up, got out of the driver's seat. He checked his phone for a change. Tanner wasn't supposed to be lead on any of this. Kevin texted Logan on his private phone.
Kevin K: I mean it Squeak Clean, stay your ass in this truck if you're not going to leave.
Squeaky C: I just want to see him walk in there under his own power then I'll leave.
Tanner walked around to the back of the van, and swung the door open with his gun trained on Davenport. Bradley Albert Davenport an until now rarely heard name in this state. It bothered Kevin that the eye witness knew his full name. A lot about this case bothered Kevin. Bradley walks out of the back of the van, and stops in his tracks, as he stares at Logan. The kid now that he was upright still didn't look a lot better than when he was out cold. Kevin watches as Tanner grabbed Davenport and shoved him forward breaking the staring contest the perp was having with his cousin.
Kevin K: You came, you saw, now go.
Inside his truck cab, he watched as Bradley walked out of the van. When he stepped down the steps the cop nearly pulled him off balance. Bradley must have recognized the truck when their eyes met Bradley went from depressed to something Logan hadn't seen in his friend's face in a long time. Before the cop pushed him toward the building Logan saw fear in his friend's gaze.
Squeaky C: Kev can you make sure he's not mistreated, not by you, but the guy that took him in is the same cop that went bat shit on his 70-year-old father.
Watching his cousin, Kevin nods, and walks into the building. Logan had to get to Sally and Michael's place to pick up Glenny he also would tell Brad's parents what he'd witnessed today. He couldn't go in there and walk his friend out, but he could at the very least prepare his family for this fucked up news. Remembering the traffic advertisement for the new Ivey Law Group the legal defense attorneys that broke away from Strickland Law. Logan calls Joshua. It goes straight to voice mail. "Hey Josh, don't freak out, but Bradley has been arrested call me back at this number."
Over at The Davenport, Joshua and the band were practicing. They had been at it for three hours. One of the verses was to be featured as a tease, up until Mania, where they would perform the full song. Cassandra took pictures of them to put on the website. She'd even brought a makeup artist to cover the bruising on his face. His back and torso was still sore, but he mostly was fighting through it to get this done, so he could head to his parent's place pick up his kid, and go home. He was glad he wasn't playing guitar and singing. All he had to do, was sing, and give nonverbal tempo instruction. Trevor hit the intro dead on, but he was getting feedback in his ear piece and it was throwing him off. "One more time. Trevor adjust your sound you don't have to play as hard here. This is a fully audio covered stage, and you're standing in the pocket." Trevor plays the intro a little softer and that stopped the feedback shrieking in Joshua's headset. They finally had it, and went through the song. Joshua cues for a stop and almost hits the floor. Cassandra tells him to sit down before he fell. Holding his side, where the pain had flared up with his movement of pointing to the floor to close the song out. Angel asked since his ribs were clearly bothering him, would he please reconsider going to get checked out. "Babe, All I need, is to go home hit that lava pit you call a hot tub and I'll be fine," Angel suggested she drive them to go get JC, and home. He should have known it was a trap. He agreed and she says and while she's at it, they can stop by Sheldon Medical. "No, just mom and dad's place to pick up JC, and home Angel." She calls him stubborn. "No, I know my body, all I need is hot water and a few pain pills, and I'll be good, it worked last night." Angel blushed at the last part of his statement, one of the side effects of his very infrequent use of pain med, was that he got horny once the pain dulled.
Sally and Michael calls Joshua, gets no answer, then calls Angel. She picks up and says they are on their way. Sally sounded off, and the reason was quickly revealed as to why her mom sounded so worried. Looking at Joshua heading to the passenger side of his truck, Angel gets in and hands the phone to him. At his look of confusion Angel says "Mom has been trying to call you, turn your ringer back up." Joshua takes her phone as he speaks to Sally. He grunts as he grabs his phone off his belt clip. The look on his face she thought was just his reaction to hearing that Bradley had been arrested. He says he'd been in meetings all day and then the rehearsal that he wasn't ignoring anyone. That was true, they had been in front of cameras for most of the day. It still pissed her off that Luke would ram into her husband so damn hard last night that he had caused Joshua of all people to take pain med. Yes, the med induced sex was great, but Joshua had a very large sexual appetite without it. It also made him harder to wake the next morning, which did scare her. This morning she carefully climbed on top of him and kissed him until he woke something she did often. This morning was different. When he first opened his eyes, he told her to get off him. Later he'd apologized, but she didn't want an apology she wanted him to feel better. Driving into Pyramid always felt uncomfortable at night. Since JC stayed at Sally and Michael's place when they rehearsed, Joshua had insisted his parents get Ivey Security in their home. Pulling into their driveway with the STOP team finding parking behind her. Angel gets out, and watches as Joshua climbs out of the truck. She'd seen the determination in his gaze, as he tried to pretend he wasn't in pain. As they stood under the camera to be identified on the front porch Joshua asks could she pick up JC and he'd get the diaper bag. "Yeah, I am not having you both hit the floor." Sally opens the door and welcomed them in. Logan was in the living room. He pops up off the sofa asking why Joshua was so pale. In this lighting Angel, did notice. She'd thought so, but at the club the lights were different. Joshua was naturally pale, but not this pale. He been tanning for the upcoming show so the brighter lights on the WWE stages wouldn't wash him out. Joshua explained away his coloring with the fact that he forgot to take off his stage makeup. It was complete bull shit, but Angel didn't want to fight with him right now. They find out, due to Attorney Spencer being called in, Bradley was going to be released on bail tomorrow. Joshua asked what were the charges. Hearing the bogus charges, Angel spoke up. "That's complete garbage, even when he was a criminal he wasn't dealing, he was using. That's what got him locked up." She hadn't known him, she'd known of him, but Bradley was very open about his prior drug use, and proudly spoke of his rehabilitation, thinking of him as a drug dealer or even a user now, just didn't fit. She also doubted he torched anything.
Over in Florida, Mark spoke to Paula after Raw as he was driven away from the arena. "Yeah, Janet called me this morning, and this evening when she got back to the mansion. Did Logan say why he was late getting back to get Glenny?" Paula says what Logan told her. "Well, Bradley was in trouble for drugs before, it's not that much of a stretch. As for the fire play, I don't see him setting anything on fire he's on a construction site, depending on what the evidence is, I'm sure he could have buried it under one of the sites or just plain destroyed it some other way. He isn't the type to risk taking out his whole team even if he was in some shit." Paula agreed and spoke of Candy saying she hoped Candy didn't feed into this obvious spin the news was doing. "Yeah big surprise, that news station is willing to spit anything that comes across their desk without finding out if it is shit or not. That is the same network that wanted to turn Jonathon's disappearance into a reality show, and then claimed it was a stunt. The other networks listed to be following this shit, were the ones Chase banned from taking pictures at the hospital the day JC was born. Have you made it to the Last Ride yet babe? I'm at the hotel. I did "Old School" tonight, the good news is Randy went the right way. The bad news is now my damn knees are bothering me." Paula says seeing him jump through the ropes on to Randy and John Cena instead of jumping clear over the ropes, kind of told her that he was hurting more than usual. "Well, I was to do that anyway, Randy can't catch me, and make it look right. John could of, but that fucker drops his damn hands too quickly. I'm not for ending up a vegetable, for landing on my damn head from 15 feet in the air. Well, honey glad to know you're at work safely, call me when you leave, and I'll talk to you until you get back to Angel's place. Love you too darlin." As Mark is getting off the elevator to his room, something catches his eye. Looking down the hall he sees a woman that looked just like Nina. He starts walking in that direction then stops "Shit what did the trainers give for pain these days?" He almost followed a perfect stranger. Sighing he walked back to his end of the hallway. Cleary, he was already asleep, because the next thing he saw didn't exist. A dragon was guarding his room. It looked at him and he ran. Yeah, this was a dream his knees don't even hurt. Why the hell was he running from a fictional creature? Stopping he turns and looked, the dragon was right behind him. What hell had he eaten? He hadn't had a dream this weird since the one with Nina in it, that changed his life after being drugged by Glenn's wife. He'd ate steak and lots of pasta at catering before being driven here. He pulled his phone, and it turned into a crossbow right before his eyes. Oh yeah, he was losing it. Hearing a noise behind him he swung around to find swirling human-like forms moving towards him for some reason something told him to run, so he did. A part of him wondered what was really happening. He had to stop running. Turning around again, he saw his father. Holy shit his father had been dead, was he dying? "What does all this mean dad?" he yelled. More swirling figures joined the ones he ran from.
Randy and John watched, and recorded as Mark tripped out on what they had slipped into his food, it sometimes paid to bribe cooks in catering. Randy laughed as Mark swings his phone around making shooting motions. "Man, that's the fastest I've seen him run in a while." They catch up to him and each grab ahold of each arm. "Mark, come on man, let's get you to your room before you wake up the place more than you already have." Suddenly Mark slammed them both into each other head first, and escapes their grip, he ran towards the stairs. "Fuck, how much of that did your friend give him to eat?" Randy was getting worried it was one thing to have blackmail video to bargain that his wife be giving another chance on the WWE's newest program, it was another if Mark hurt himself, or a fan, or some shit. They chased him down the stairwell. Looking over at John, Randy got pissed, John was still happily recording. "Stop that, this is serious." John paused video and said yeah it was serious that he was going to end Mark's career for getting his cousin Racheal sent to prison last year, and for making Glenn kill himself. They reach the first-floor Mark runs into the door with a loud thud. Randy stops running "Wait, Mark didn't make Glenn off himself, and since when do you give a fuck about their bro-mance ending? You couldn't stand Glenn." John admitted that was true, but he also hated Mark more for what he did to Racheal. "She fucked with his kid man, that was on her. If she had of just dumped him, and he went that bat shit, yeah, I would be with you, but that wasn't the case." John tells Randy to watch his mouth unless he wanted to turn up dead. "Fuck off, don't start believing your own shit, I can still kick your ass." Randy says as John gets in his face. John turns his phone back on Taker. Randy knocked it from his hand, John takes a swing at him and misses. They start arguing about whether Randy was going to pay for John's broken phone.
Dean Ambrose walked down the street about to head into the hotel, when he sees through the window Mark running towards the door, he tries his best to get out of the way, Mark hit the door, it flew open and Dean jumped to the side not to get run over. "Taker?" He then sees John Cena and Randy Orton running after Taker. "Ok, I'll join the fun." He takes off after the group of wrestlers, and asks Randy why they are chasing Mark. Dean respected Mark, Mark was the unofficial leader of the locker room. John Cena was the "face" of the company, but if you wanted real advice you went to Taker. Mark ran in the street. Randy stopped and John pulled his camera and recorded Mark playing "Human Fogger" on the busy street. Mark wasn't watching the cars he was making hand gestures at them like he was shooting them. Mark yells at a passing van that he is the "Lord of Darkness." Dean sees an opening and runs into the street, since John and Randy were too concerned with whether to record or not to help their workmate out. He'd get Mark back to the hotel himself. "Hey, Lord of Darkness, it's about time for you to go back to your labyrinth or whatever." When Mark turned around, Dean knew he was on something, considering Mark's pupils were the size of fucking quarters. "Behind you my Lord" He kept up the weird dialogue until he got Mark out of the street on the opposite side of where Randy and John stood arguing. Mark asked him strange questions as they walked towards the corner that would take them back up the ally. Usually he wouldn't want to walk through an ally but the street side was a little too dangerous. In the ally if anyone was back there, having an almost 7 foot famous, athletic, tripping Texan, on your team, would help level just about any playing field, as long as the other people didn't have guns. Getting Mark back to the hotel was a challenge. Mark kept trying to race him.
"Where did he go?" John asks as he looked in the street and didn't see Mark in the street, or splattered on the pavement. Randy flipped him off and ran across the street he was going to find his workmate. "Hey, this was your idea, whatever happens, is on your head. You still owe me a phone." John yells as he picks up his broken phone. A younger woman walks up to him and asks is he John Cena. "Why yes, yes I am." He flashes his smile at her. She tells him CM Punk is better, and runs off giggling. "Fucking bitch."
Across town Nikki Bella and Sasha Orton had invited Mark's travel agent Stacy Bloke out to party. Randy owed them. They were to get her plastered, and then return her to the hotel for a prank concerning Mark. When they stopped thinking of it as a job, they found that she was full of stories about bands they liked, that she had worked with, she was cool. Naomi came over and asked Stacy had she worked with Personal Touch, since they would be doing Mania and Access. Eva Marie walks up and says not if she was working with real talent. Stacy said she was a fan, but had not the connections to work with anyone on the LEGNA label yet. Eva smiled and said she was buying the next round of drinks, all the girls cheered a thank you. Eva meets up with Rosa at the bar and bitches about the new girl that wasn't even a diva, and how the other girls seemed to be paying a lot of attention to Stacy instead of her. "We'll fix her, Red and Gold." Her and Rosa high five each other giggling. They move the party back to Nikki and John's room. After having the tray of shots sent to the room, Eva dares Stacy to pound the tallest shot glass. The other girls say that was going to be brutal. Stacy said she'd partied with rock stars and could handle her liquor. "Don't talk about it, be about it, drink up." Eva says. As the group chants, "shot, shot, shot." Stacy took the larger shot knocked it back, and slammed the glass down on the coffee table in the sitting area in triumph. Minutes later she hit the floor like a ton of bricks. Nikki says "I do think she's ready." Nikki and Sasha helps Stacy to Mark's room instead of her own. Through the adjoining door in her room. After getting the girl in Taker's bed, the girls ran back to Stacy's room, and out into the hall as Dean and Mark were heading towards his room. Nikki gets a call from John and looks angry as she turns to Renee and says that Dean was going to spoil the surprise since he wasn't drunk. Renee runs back in the hall as Dean is about to walk into Mark's room with him and says "Hey Dean" when he looks her way about to speak, she flashes him. He forgets Mark and walks towards her. The girls wait for a scream or anything coming from Mark's room, but nothing happens.
Inside Mark's hotel room he stumbles to the bed and lays down and wraps his arms around Paula. He'd take his clothes off later, she hated when he went to bed with his street clothes on. Yawning he noticed that she wore a different bath lotion. She was getting smaller and smaller every time he came home. That thought disturbed him, something was wrong. He knew he was asleep, dragons didn't exist, nor did zombies or whatever had been chasing him. Opening his eyes, he sees dark hair. "NINA!" that was the only other woman that would lay on him like this. He liked this dream. "I miss you so much darling please don't disappear this time." Snuggling down under the covers pulling his dead wife closer to his chest. Right now, she was alive in his dreams and his arms. He knew that in his other dreams where he tried to make love to Nin she would disappear. He wonders would that be considered cheating on his Paula, and if that's why she always disappeared keeping him faithful to his living wife. He mumbles everything he ever wanted to tell his dead wife, the apologies for not being there enough to notice when she first got sick, for falling for Racheal, and trusting Megan, and putting their baby girl in danger. Not wanting to bum her out, he speaks of how Janet was just like her in so many ways. He ends his dialogue with repeating that he loves her so much, and would always miss her when she faded out again, but begged her to stay just for tonight. He then passes out wrapped around his first wife.
Over in Granville South Paula was on her way back to Ivey Mansion. She calls Mark's phone and it hit voice mail. Man, he must have taken a shower and hit the bed hard for him not to even answer her ringtone. Calling Stacy, that sometimes could rouse her hubby, she wanted to talk to him as she drove she was majorly tired. She calls Angel when she saw that Angel's chat icon had not blinked off yet.
Angel answered on the first ring. She'd been arguing with Joshua and finally convinced him to get checked out at Middlebrooks's clinic in Pyramid so he would not run into Luke. The appointment was already set. Once they had left his parents' house she'd been talking to him on the drive home, and it was a very good thing he'd let her drive his truck, he passed out, just had stopped talking and went limp. When she pulled over, though she wanted to scream for him to wake up, JC was asleep and she didn't want to startle her baby, but her level of freak-out was very high as she basically slapped Joshua on the thigh until he woke up. He was disoriented for longer than she would have liked. He managed to stay awake until they got home. She carried JC in the house and expected Joshua to follow them with the diaper bag. When she turned around and Josh wasn't behind her, she put JC in his play pen and ran back to find Joshua leaning on the truck. That's when he said he just don't want to be seen by Luke. She pissed him off when she said if he kept passing out she'd just call a med crew and have him taken to the nearest hospital. Angel meant every word. Joshua had asked so he suddenly had no choice in the matter. She told him if he wanted to fight about painting the den fine, but fighting over if she would get him help he needed even if it pissed him off she told him she would not wait until it became life threatening just to make him happy. She'd made the appointment and told him if he got too bad tonight, she was having him sent to the hospital. Getting him up the stairs to their room was his white flag to going to the doctor. It had taken him longer than it took her at nine months pregnant to climb the back stairs. When he reached the bedroom, he asked had she set his appointment she told him yes. When he took off his shirt he almost face plated the floor from simply lifting his arms. The dark ugly bruising on his torso stood out against his pale skin. It looked worse not better. Her phone rang. "Hey Paula, you on your way, good because if Joshua gets worse I'm going with him to the hospital. Yeah, it's what Luke did. I don't know what he did, but Joshua keeps passing out and he's pale as shit." Joshua sits on the sofa holding his side. She talks to Paula as she leaves their bedroom door open, walks downstairs to pick up JC and back up, to put him in his own bed. While getting JC in his bed and changed into his PJs she hears what can only be Joshua's phone. Candy was calling him.
Joshua finally gets his phone to his ear he needed to go to the hospital he'd taken the pain med and it just made him feel hot. "Yeah" Candy was very loud and very scared he didn't know if Bradley would have called her or not. He hoped he wasn't breaking some bro code, but he'd been Candy's friend long before he and Bradley claimed each other as brothers. Right now, he was more concerned with calming Candy down. She reveals that she had not heard from Bradley via phone since they went to their second interview that would have been just around his lunch time. "Candy, Bradley got arrested, yeah I know it is complete bullshit. The good news is, he should be out on bail by tomorrow. It's the best we got right now." Candy asked how long he and Angel had been sitting on this. "Look, don't start that shit again, I'm really not in the mood. No one was hiding shit from you. I was in the same fucking interviews and rehearsals you were today; my phone has been on silent for most of the day." With his raised voice came a stab of pain. "Ow shit." He says screwing his eyes shut, and holding his side. "Look, I'm going to get off here, talk to you later." He felt hot and nauseous, even though he hadn't eaten much all day. Angel came back in the bedroom. "Look, I'm not going to argue with you about this anymore. I think we need to go tonight. I don't feel right." Angel comes over and puts her lips to his forehead. Drawing back, she confirms that he is hot on the outside not just on the inside. She runs into the bathroom and grabs the thermometer. Coming back, she puts the little piece in his ear and waits for the click. He had a temperature of 101.3. Angel helped him back down the stairs as Paula was coming up she asked could Paula watch JC, Paula said of course they left and went pass the exit for Middlebrooks's office. When Joshua points that out Angel says in a tone that brooked no argument. "That appointment was for 9am it is 2 in the morning we are going to Sheldon Medical Center." Joshua says ok and lays his hot face on the cool window.
Author's Note: Thanks for all that are reading, thank you and please feel free to comment/ review.